Published: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 4:56 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at 4:56 p.m.

A large crowd protests the layoffs of teachers and other School District staff outside the Marion County School Board offices on Southeast Third Street in Ocala on Tuesday.

Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner

During separate interviews Wednesday, board members Bobby James and Carol Ely were cautiously optimistic they could find some money to ease the budget crisis.

Chairman Ron Crawford and Angela Boynton were more reserved, saying they need to know additional budget information before they could offer any encouraging words.

Nancy Stacy, who did not return a call for comment Wednesday, made her stance clear during a long, pointed speech at Tuesday's board meeting. She considers the layoff plan unacceptable and demanded an emergency budget workshop at which she will unveil what she calls "The Nancy Stacy Zero-based Budgeting Plus One Plan."

She called the district administration power-hungry kings and queens who are wasting tax dollars, but to date has not offered a detailed budget plan.

Crawford granted her request and wants to hold the workshop by June 27.

All board members, with the exception of Stacy, said there is not much they can do right now until the district hands over its proposed budget on July 23. That's when the board can truly begin figuring out how many jobs can be saved.

"Tuesday night we were just focused on the teachers," Crawford said. "I want to save all of the jobs."

When asked why the board seemed apathetic to the situation at Tuesday's meeting, Crawford said there is nothing members can say until the 2012-13 budget is closed out, which takes until mid-July.

"What are you to say? We don't know exactly how much money we have," Crawford said. "I can't say (to the affected employees) that you will have a job. Are we going to try our best? Absolutely."

Board members said it was risky for Stacy to step forward and say there is plenty of money to save the jobs.

The operation budget consists of dozens and dozens of accounts, many holding funds earmarked by the state and federal governments for specific purposes.

"I am always concerned when information like this (Stacy's plan) is released to the public and it hasn't been vetted yet," James said. "I think we can save some of the jobs, but I don't know if we can save them all. It really is too early to know for sure."

Crawford said though the community knows the 2013-14 budget is extremely tight, it may not know it is July when the district knows how much extra money, if any, may be floating around those dozens of operational accounts.

The board will set the highest possible school tax millage rate (which can be lowered at a later date) on July 30. Then the board will hold two budget workshops in August to pore over the budget to make changes. The board votes on the final budget on Sept. 10.

"Right now, we have a proposal from Mr. Tomyn," board member Ely said, referring to School Superintendent George Tomyn. "We have a lot of work to do, but I think we can find ways to keep some of these positions."

Ely wants to consider closing one or two schools and implementing furlough days for 12-month employees to save some money.

James hopes more people than expected will be retiring June 30, which means more personnel facing layoffs could be hired back full time. James said it is up to the board to find solutions, including shifting some 12-month employees to 240-day contracts or instituting across-the-board pay cuts for all employees.

"I can't be looking at Tallahassee to solve our problems," James said. "We need to be looking at long-term permanent solutions."

Board member Boynton said she appreciates Stacy's movement to form a 10-member committee of public financial "wizards" to help craft a budget, stating the school district must be treated as a business. Creating a zero-based budget plan from scratch will take months, however.

"None of us want to see education erode away," Boynton said. She added that residents with their own proposals and solutions should contact the district.

Crawford defended the district's administration and its budget planning. He said staff has worked extremely hard in difficult times.

Seeing the district was facing a severe shortfall early this year, Tomyn ordered all administrators and department heads to look at all areas to make cuts in the budget, Crawford said.

Tomyn's main objective was to keep the cuts from affecting the classroom. By the end of May, Tomyn had to pull the trigger and implement the layoffs in anticipation of a projected $29 million budget gap. Tomyn had to act on layoffs in late May to meet contract requirements, Crawford said.

District officials said the layoffs of all 160 first-year teachers were ordered to make room for veteran teachers — like music, art, PE and librarians — whose current jobs were eliminated. Those veterans will be moved to the classroom.

Once all the moves have taken place, and the number of retirements are factored in, the district will then hire teachers to fill the remaining openings.

Lisa Krysalka, the district's executive director of human resources, said how they fill those openings will depend on the 2012-13 budget close out and how much extra revenue will be carried over.

If extra money is found, some of the vacancies will be filled with full-time teachers with benefits. If the budget projection stays the same, then the openings will be filled with full-time certified substitutes: teachers with bachelor's degrees who get half the pay — $18,000 — without benefits.

Crawford said the district has been at a disadvantage for years when it comes to budgeting. That's because the district has been using a 20-year-old business computer system that is not integrated from one department to most of the others.

Because of the budgeting nightmares, the board last year approved a new business computer system. Though the system is now up and running, the district is still getting all the older files inputted.

Crawford expects by next February the business department will be able to quickly run reports that better detail the district's financial health.

Under the older system, Crawford said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly how much money was expected to carry over, or what some people call reserve money. If all the accounts end up just 1 percent more than expected, that could generate nearly $3 million, for example.

On the other hand, if the balances end up being what the district finance officials currently project, then the district will have to live within its current $295 million budget.

Four years ago, former Superintendent of Schools Jim Yancey warned he may layoff 522 first- and second-year teachers. Those jobs were saved thanks to federal stimulus dollars.

The district received $28 million in federal dollars in two years. That allowed the district to build at least $20 million in reserve funds. Those reserve funds were depleted in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Now the district is hovering at the required minimum reserve requirement.

Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@Ocala.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.

<p>School Board members asked the public on Wednesday to be patient as they strive to soften the planned layoff of 261 educators.</p><p>During separate interviews Wednesday, board members Bobby James and Carol Ely were cautiously optimistic they could find some money to ease the budget crisis.</p><p>Chairman Ron Crawford and Angela Boynton were more reserved, saying they need to know additional budget information before they could offer any encouraging words.</p><p>Nancy Stacy, who did not return a call for comment Wednesday, made her stance clear during a long, pointed speech at Tuesday's board meeting. She considers the layoff plan unacceptable and demanded an emergency budget workshop at which she will unveil what she calls "The Nancy Stacy Zero-based Budgeting Plus One Plan."</p><p>She called the district administration power-hungry kings and queens who are wasting tax dollars, but to date has not offered a detailed budget plan.</p><p>Crawford granted her request and wants to hold the workshop by June 27.</p><p>All board members, with the exception of Stacy, said there is not much they can do right now until the district hands over its proposed budget on July 23. That's when the board can truly begin figuring out how many jobs can be saved.</p><p>"Tuesday night we were just focused on the teachers," Crawford said. "I want to save all of the jobs."</p><p>When asked why the board seemed apathetic to the situation at Tuesday's meeting, Crawford said there is nothing members can say until the 2012-13 budget is closed out, which takes until mid-July.</p><p>"What are you to say? We don't know exactly how much money we have," Crawford said. "I can't say (to the affected employees) that you will have a job. Are we going to try our best? Absolutely."</p><p>Board members said it was risky for Stacy to step forward and say there is plenty of money to save the jobs.</p><p>The operation budget consists of dozens and dozens of accounts, many holding funds earmarked by the state and federal governments for specific purposes.</p><p>"I am always concerned when information like this (Stacy's plan) is released to the public and it hasn't been vetted yet," James said. "I think we can save some of the jobs, but I don't know if we can save them all. It really is too early to know for sure."</p><p>Crawford said though the community knows the 2013-14 budget is extremely tight, it may not know it is July when the district knows how much extra money, if any, may be floating around those dozens of operational accounts.</p><p>The board will set the highest possible school tax millage rate (which can be lowered at a later date) on July 30. Then the board will hold two budget workshops in August to pore over the budget to make changes. The board votes on the final budget on Sept. 10.</p><p>"Right now, we have a proposal from Mr. Tomyn," board member Ely said, referring to School Superintendent George Tomyn. "We have a lot of work to do, but I think we can find ways to keep some of these positions."</p><p>Ely wants to consider closing one or two schools and implementing furlough days for 12-month employees to save some money.</p><p>James hopes more people than expected will be retiring June 30, which means more personnel facing layoffs could be hired back full time. James said it is up to the board to find solutions, including shifting some 12-month employees to 240-day contracts or instituting across-the-board pay cuts for all employees.</p><p>"I can't be looking at Tallahassee to solve our problems," James said. "We need to be looking at long-term permanent solutions."</p><p>Board member Boynton said she appreciates Stacy's movement to form a 10-member committee of public financial "wizards" to help craft a budget, stating the school district must be treated as a business. Creating a zero-based budget plan from scratch will take months, however.</p><p>"None of us want to see education erode away," Boynton said. She added that residents with their own proposals and solutions should contact the district.</p><p>Crawford defended the district's administration and its budget planning. He said staff has worked extremely hard in difficult times.</p><p>Seeing the district was facing a severe shortfall early this year, Tomyn ordered all administrators and department heads to look at all areas to make cuts in the budget, Crawford said.</p><p>Tomyn's main objective was to keep the cuts from affecting the classroom. By the end of May, Tomyn had to pull the trigger and implement the layoffs in anticipation of a projected $29 million budget gap. Tomyn had to act on layoffs in late May to meet contract requirements, Crawford said.</p><p>District officials said the layoffs of all 160 first-year teachers were ordered to make room for veteran teachers — like music, art, PE and librarians — whose current jobs were eliminated. Those veterans will be moved to the classroom.</p><p>Once all the moves have taken place, and the number of retirements are factored in, the district will then hire teachers to fill the remaining openings.</p><p>Lisa Krysalka, the district's executive director of human resources, said how they fill those openings will depend on the 2012-13 budget close out and how much extra revenue will be carried over.</p><p>If extra money is found, some of the vacancies will be filled with full-time teachers with benefits. If the budget projection stays the same, then the openings will be filled with full-time certified substitutes: teachers with bachelor's degrees who get half the pay — $18,000 — without benefits.</p><p>Crawford said the district has been at a disadvantage for years when it comes to budgeting. That's because the district has been using a 20-year-old business computer system that is not integrated from one department to most of the others.</p><p>Because of the budgeting nightmares, the board last year approved a new business computer system. Though the system is now up and running, the district is still getting all the older files inputted.</p><p>Crawford expects by next February the business department will be able to quickly run reports that better detail the district's financial health.</p><p>Under the older system, Crawford said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly how much money was expected to carry over, or what some people call reserve money. If all the accounts end up just 1 percent more than expected, that could generate nearly $3 million, for example.</p><p>On the other hand, if the balances end up being what the district finance officials currently project, then the district will have to live within its current $295 million budget.</p><p>Four years ago, former Superintendent of Schools Jim Yancey warned he may layoff 522 first- and second-year teachers. Those jobs were saved thanks to federal stimulus dollars.</p><p>The district received $28 million in federal dollars in two years. That allowed the district to build at least $20 million in reserve funds. Those reserve funds were depleted in 2011-12 and 2012-13. Now the district is hovering at the required minimum reserve requirement.</p><p><i>Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@Ocala.com. Follow him on Twitter at JoeOcalaNews.</i></p>